Kerry, Kerry, quite contrary

On Monday, Kerry was in California, stumping for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides. At an event at Pasadena City College intended to highlight Democratic education policies, Kerry told students, "You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well." But, he added, "If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

our biggest pumpkin

yikes! It's a ghost! Heehee!

We went to a few neighbors homes (good thing I took him out because the older couple next door said they only had their light on to see Maxwell...the husband had just had his knee replaced...they are so sweet and I have known them since I was 10) and Max really did not get the whole trick or treat thing down but people loved seeing him out. Of course he took his puppy hood off as soon as we walked back in the door...so no good pictures but he sure is enjoying his candy.

our littlest pumpkin

So Maxwell is NOT willing to cooperate and wear his cute puppy costume..he didn't really last year either...but Evan was willing to comply to some pictures! Maybe Max will give in later today! :)

bedtime.

matching pj's.
I promise this won't become a habit...
at least not too often :)

caught in the act...

picture credit: Sue Heidkamp

Happy Birthday!

mom & aunt sue

Happy Birthday Aunt Sue (aka. second mother)! Hope your day is a good one. Thanks for all your hospitality and good eats whenever the family is together! Love you! Happy Birthday!

sick day

Yesterday was a good day, spent outside raking leaves and jumping in them(It was impossible to get a picture of Maxwell standing still)!
But...I knew this day would finally come, where one of the boys would get sick. Maxwell woke up every few hours last night wimpering a little. We brought him into our bed and sure enough his warm forehead indicated a fever. We took him to my Dads office today where it ws diagnosed he has his first ear infection. He is doing quite well considering I know he feels yucky (and he has never been sick before) but he is going to have a full day of reading, Thomas the Train, and just relaxing...the weather outside is not to appealing anyway, so it is not such a bad day to be sick.

prayer.

"Anyone who has been on the Christian way for a while knows there are times when our private prayers run something like this? "Dear Lord, I thank you for the oppurtunity to come into your presence by the merits of Jesus. It is a wonderful blessing to call you Father...I wonder where I left my car keys?[no, no back to business.] Heavenly Father, I begin by asking you to watch over all my family-not just in the physical sphere, but in the moral and spiritual dimensions of our lives...Boy, last Sunday's sermon was sure bad. I wonder if I will get that report written on time? [No, no!] Father give real fruitfulness to that missionary couple we support, whatever their name is...Oh my! I had almost forgotten I promised to fix my sons bike today..." Or am I the only one who has had problems with mental drift?"- D.A. Carson, A Call To Spiritual Reformation, Priotities from Paul and His Prayers.
I do not know about you, but I am not that great at praying. I am a majorly guilty in the mental drift department, not only when I am praying alone, but also when I am praying with others. This is something I am trying to work on. Praying more often, but even more so, praying more focused. Reflecting on his word, his glory, his riches, his kingdom come. A few days ago an old family friend came to pick up my Dad to go Mayo clinic conference and he had not met our boys yet, and just before they were to leave he asked to pray for them. A simple gesture, but it really touched me. I get a little wierded out when people want to pray over your kids all the time, touching them, blessing them, blah blah, but this was not strange at all. In fact, it was quite nice.
I have found that I do not pray enough. I also tell people I will pray for them...and then I don't. Or, I just pray for their specific request but that is all. The book I mentioned above is one I am reading through right now. I would really recommend it to anyone who is struggling with prayer, or who just wants to learn more about how and why we should pray.
A few years ago I used to write down praises and prayers in a journal each night while I prayed, it kept me focused and I could reflect in writing what I had read in Gods word. After I had Maxwell though it started to collect dust. Now, I find I have time to do the journal again, and am starting that up again. I hope God will continue to reveal himself to me as I seek to give him glory each day.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my dear friend and cuz Vanessa...



















...and to my sister-in-law Julia. The best nurse I know!

Recommendation Monday

So I have been looking for new shoes right? Well I have finally found some at Gap inc.'s latest and greatest new store...Piperlime. They have a variety of shoe brands and for now free shipping and returns. My black shoe case just may be solved!

the Kemps

We always love to hang out with Chad and Nicole! They are supa-fun to hang out with. I actually met Chad back in 2001 working with him at the Bucks. We share the same sense of humor...and we are both history nerds. Now we are all married old folks. Alright we are still young, and having fun! They are one of those few couple friends that both spouses look forward and love to hang out with!
We hung out this past weekend and there was a two for one special going on in the bar of the resturant we were at, so we all decided to get a margarita. The bar tender (who was a little ditzy mind you) comes back with not four, but eight drinks. Down she plops them in front of us, and we all sat stunned for a moment. We all were on the same page when we had ordered, but the bar tender misunderstood, or perhaps she just played dumb to make more money off us! :) But then she comes back with another, thinking she had not made enough so we had nine drinks between the four of us! We felt like alcoholics! Maybe you had to be there, or maybe we are just a bunch of old silly married people. Either way it was still funny to us.
We will sure miss them when we move, but we are planning on them coming to visit often and we will make sure to come back to Badgerland to see them too...and their kids which will exist very soon. (very soon Chad!....ahem...wink, wink!)

me, my fat self, and I

I have had this post lingering in my saved drafts posts area for awhile now.
It is a scary post for me.
I am determined to never be a fat Mom.
Never to let my pant size reside in the double digits.
I am only 5'4' after all.

I know, I know, our culture is well insane. We all
need to be stick thin and have gorgeous faces
and long eyelashes (to bat) to be attractive. Blah,
blah! But it does get to me.

My friend Ashleigh has had two great posts about body after baby.
Dealing with the bulge.
She is resolving to get down to a size 8 and has a plan to do so.
I am proud (and jealous) of her plan!

My plan...
So far...eat less.
I am really bad about staying on a regular exercise routine.
Really bad.
I tried the whole running thing...mostly because
you look cool, but I am NOT a runner. I have
bad knees from soccer in high school. Plus asthma.
Lame excuses but really I HATE to run.
I am a swimmer.
The problem.
I have no pool and the bath tub just doesn't cut it.
I suppose I could drive somewhere and swim
a few times a week.
Too lazy.
I have to get into a routine. Have to.
I am taking advice. Any good workout videos out there?
I had a good one, until was snapped in half by my two year
old a few months ago.

I am coming up on three months of having Evan,
and I am only about five pounds from where I began.
But my goal is to lose a little extra since I had a little
extra to begin with. I gained about 15 lbs. very quickly
after Justin and I were married, plus working mornings
at Starbucks with lots of yummy pastries around did not help.

So my goal...lose 18 lbs. by Thanksgiving...making it about
3 lbs. a week. I started this week. I want to fit in my favorite
jeans again( get out of the 10's I am currently in), which are a size 6.
Is it feasible? Sure. Can I do it.
We shall see.
I gotta workout more.
My plea for help...and prayer.

Ahoy Matey!

The must-have Halloween costumes
-Leslie Hunt

A single word comes to mind regarding what's hot in Halloween costumes
this year: arrr!
While that might not pass for a word, the store managers, costume buyers and owners of famous costume shops we spoke with did utter a single word to describe this year's hottest costume.
"Pirates," says Kevin Pohle, owner of the Colorado-based costume, toys and games shop, the Wizard's Chest. "Pirates, pirates and more pirates."
Made popular by the 2006 release of the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," pirate costumes and related accessories top the costume wish lists of kids and adults alike, male and female. Some costume shops even carry buccaneer outfits for pets.
Costume retailers expect pirate costumes to be the big sellers this year with kids and adults alike. While movie enthusiasts might enjoy dressing like Captain Jack Sparrow, Davy Jones or Elizabeth Swann, shoppers can also find more generic pirate costumes. Cats and dogs can also join the buccaneer craze -- some shops carry bandannas and headpieces for furry mateys.
Will the cost of a pirate costume cost you a treasure chest of gold? It might. Unlike other all-inclusive costumes, dressing like Captain Jack Sparrow can cost shoppers an arm and a wooden leg. "If it's something simple like cartoon characters -- Batman, Flash or Superman -- a low-end style costume is OK," says David Bertolino, owner of Boston Costume, a costume shop that's been outfitting the theatre, film and television industries for nearly 40 years. He says the pirate look, however, requires more accessories, including a hat, boots and sword. By the time customers get to the register, they've "got a wheelbarrow full of stuff."
A basic pirate costume's price can vary widely. At Web retailer AnniesCostumes.com, for instance, kids' pirate costumes retail for $20 up to $40, while adult pirate outfits can be as much as several hundred dollars. One Captain Hook costume costs $1,000!
Shiver me timbers.

Shoes.

Black shoes.
I have been on the hunt, the prowl, the lookout.
Searching high and low for the perfect pair.
Or at least a pair I would like very much.
No such luck yet.
I want a casual yet cool (that sounds so cliche) pair.
I don't want loafers...too old ladyish.
Not wedges...at least all the ones I have seen were impractical.
Gym shoes...I have more gym shoes than I need. Love them though!
I suppose if they were cute enough and black enough I would do it.
Not mules...at least I don't think so...I don't really like the way they look, at least the ones I've seen.
Not flats...have some.
Not heels...have those too, and I have kids.
So what's left?
If you have good black shoes or have seen some, help me out! AYE!

Happy Birthday Aunt Judy!

Happy Birthday to my Moms baby sister and my Aunt Judy!
Judy rocks...always ready to goof-off she is fabulous! Plus she
has a really cute grandson!

Happy Birthday Jaimee Grace

Happy 8th Birthday to my sister-in-law
Jaimee Grace. Jaimee is SO good with Maxwell
and Evan. She loves to hold Evan, and Maxwell
just adores her! He is always walking around the
house saying her name. A girl of high style, she
looks great in any color lip gloss...and lots of it! :)

A MUST read...

“Are you familiar with canned chicken? Romantic lighting doesn’t hurt.”
-Peace Like A River by, Leif Engler

for the record...

condiments do not count as food.
if they did, my parents would be loaded with things to eat.
that's not the case.

Happy Birthday!

My Aunt Sue gave me a Cd of pictures from Justins Birthday last year...and as you can see my Mother-in-law is pleasantly pushing me (my Mother, Aunt Sue, and Justins cousin Sonja all lauging in the background at my pain...crazy women!) and I lunging foward into Joelle who has the ball. She is aggresive! What crazy women! Truth be told,we were all laughing so hard our stomachs hurt, because all of us were being so aggresive and the older women were not even following simple basketball rules! It was a great day.

Today is my Mother-in-loves birthday! Happy Birthday Jane! Jane is always gracing us with new scrapbook pages (she is SO amazing at it...gets published all the time!) and a great second Mom to have.

Fall has arrived

The boys and I really enjoyed our walk today.
Of course Evan slept the whole time, but
Max loved pointing out every squirrel we saw.
The air was cool, the trees were changing,
and it just smelled like fall, and I love it!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Mom! Hope you know
how much you are loved. Thanks for all you
have done for us. You are an amazing Mother
and Grandmother!

Evan & Miles

The weekend.

Marc & Miles, Justin & Evan

Maxwell looks so huge!

Evan and Miles...

The Tantillos came for a visit this past weekend,
and since Evan was not allowed in his room at
the hospital, Evan and Miles met for the first time!
Sue, Vanessa, and Samantha came on Friday for
the day too, but we (of course) didn't break out
the cameras before they left! Duh! Next time!
My brother Alec came too to meet all the babies,
but of course...forgot the camera. Usually I am
really good about taking pictures. I have been a
bit space cadet lately! Good to see everybody though!

Maxwells mowing service

Filling up the gas tank...to begin the job.

His service is friendly...

efficient...

and very meticulous. He gets the job done right.

You know you live in the Ghetto when...

the Sign on the front of the building next door reads:
"No crack,
No marijuana sold here.
Thanks, Management"

Just another day in the life of my brother Alec
and cousin Josh neighborhood in Minneapolis.

Recommendation Monday- Huggies Clean Team

These wipes from Huggies Clean Team are great! Not only do they smell great, Maxwell actually
will let me wipe his hands and face with them without fussing! Easy to have on hand, these are
a great thing!

Recommendation Monday.

So two friends of mine do fun Friday posts on their blogs. Bethany does Friday Favorites and Danielle does Photo Fridays. So, I am going to a copy cat, except on Mondays.
Thus begins Recommendation Monday.

A smart, stylish and practical solution to the diaper bag, the award-winning patented patemm pad makes changing your little one quick and simple. The round design accommodates squirmy infants and serves as a sleek, all-in-one bag for diapers, wipes, and even a change of clothes. It is easy to clean, and It has truly become an essential baby item! I love mine! I have a diaper bag I LOVE too, but if I want to pack light, I just stuff it all in the pad, and it works great!